Japanese bridges Japan is well known for its bridge building expertise. There are a number of very large, architectural wonders among the bridges of Japan which are generally made with steel and concrete. There are also many traditional bridges made from stone. And there are of course the iconic bridges found in Japanese gardens. For bridge enthusiasts, it is a wonderful country to explore. In...

Japanese washoku dishes Japanese cuisine or Washoku was recently added to the list of the World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is a cultural cuisine with differences from area to area in Japan and has a long and rich history.One of the most recognizable foods within this cuisine is of course sushi. In this informative blog, Itaya sensei explains many of the different types of sushi. How many...

Japanese castles There are more than 100 castles in Japan. Many have been rebuilt in a drive to revive history and Japanese national heritage. In this blog by veteran and professional Japanese teacher, Mizuno sensei, she focuses on Nagoya castle. Mizuno sensei lives in Nagoya and knows a lot about the city's history and specific culture. Read this blog to learn more about one of main attractions...

and seismic activity Japan is located in a high seismic activity, near three tectonic plates. Japan experiences about 400 earthquakes every day, although the vast majority are very small and detectable only using specialist apparatus. But every now and again, a large earthquake does occur and if you happen to be travelling in Japan at the time, or living here, it is important...

Vegetables in Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine or washoku places a great emphasis on vegetables.Although in this day and age, you can grow vegetables in greenhouses and supply different kinds of vegetables all year round, the principle of seasonal vegetables is still preserved in washoku. During spring, there are many vegetables in season and the majority of these are mountain vegetables....

The Japanese school year The academic year at Japanese schools normally begins in April and ends the following March, and not in September like in the United States and other countries. This means that Spring season is the start of school, and not Autumn. However, many universities in Japan have started allowing for Autumn enrollment as well as Spring enrollment to increase their competitiveness...

Fruits in Japan Japanese fruits are famous for being expensive, but not all the fruits are. If you go to the supermarkets, there are reasonably priced fruits on sale, but it is true that there is a market for high-end fruits too. There are many fruits that are native to Japan, like the Japanese pear (or Nashi) and Japanese persimmon (or Kaki). But there are also fruits that were introduced to...

Japanese proverbs There are many proverbs (or Kotowaza or Kanyoku) in the Japanese language. Some are based on 4 character Kanji, and some are idiomatic phrases. They are an interesting area of Japanese vocabulary and grammar learning. Many Japanese manga and literature make use of these phrases and there is a certain art to quoting pertinent proverbs to illustrate a point in a conversation. If...

Roadside rest areas in Japan There are many rest areas or service stations along the highways in Japan. They are also known as Michi no Eki in Japanese. They provide places for drivers and passengers to take rest, and also promote local goods and tourism. There is a growing competition among the rest areas to provide more unique services and goods, on top of the souvenirs and local cuisine and...

The Sengoku period Japanese history is generally separated into various periods or stages of history. These are usually named either by the current capital of the country at the time or by the ruling clan of the time. One of these periods is the period of Warring states, or Sengoku era in which there were numerous contests between clans to gain control of land and consequently unite the lands...